Suitcase-lock.



E. H. SHAFF.

SUITCASE LOCK APPLlCATiON FILED APR.23. i917.-

INVENTOR Patented May 7 1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEETT WTNES I Ernesz H. shoj ATTOR N EY E. H. SHAFF.

SUITCASE LOCK. APPLICATION FILED APR. 23 l9l7- Patented May 7,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Fig.7:

ATTORNEY ERNEST H. SHAPE, OF, GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN.

SUITCASE-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May "2, 1918.

Applicationfiled April23, 1917. Serial No. 164,001.

To all-whom itmag concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST, S Arr, a citizen of the- United States, residing at Grand Haven. in the. county of Qttawa'and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suitcase- Locks, of which the following isv a specification.

My invention relates. to. improvements in locks, and it consists in the Constructions, combinations, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention isto provide a.

lock-adaptedmore particularly for use upon suitcases trunks, and the like, and it comprises a stamped metal body portion in which a spring pressed latch bolt is adapted to slide the distinguishing feature of the the constituent partsthereof being formed.

of pressed metal thereby facilitating. the manufacture and assembling thereof.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following. specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is. a side elevation of; a portion of a suitcase illustrating the application of my lock,

Fig. 2 is a cross-section onthe line 2.-2 of; Fig. 1 looking inthe-direction'of-the arrow,

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1

Fig. l is a detail. plan. view ofthe pressed metal body portion; of the lock,

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the slot cover,

Fig. 6 is an invented plan view of the 10Gk5 Fig. 7 isa similar View, partsof the latch bolt. cover. plate beingshown: in se tion,

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective View of the latchfbolt,

Fig. 9 isa detail perspective view of the cover plate, I

Fig. '10 is a detail perspective View of the key support which cooperates with the slot cover, and

Fig, 11 is a detailed perspective view of the spring operated hasp.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig, 1 of the drawing, the lock is applied to the suitcase 1 which includes the usual hinged cover 2. A look body or plate 3 is riveted upon the suitcase 1 as at 4. The lock body or plate 3 is formed of sheet metal and includes the flanges 5, the edges of which are adapted to rest upon the surface ofthe suitcase and thusserve to space the operating and carried parts of the lock therefrom.

The lock plate 3 includes a housing 6 which it will be observed from the drawings and particularly from Fig. 4, is also stamped. upwardly from the lock plate 3. The housing 6 includes a, circularly shaped stamped portion 7 which is centrally apertured as at 8. It will readily be understood that in forming the lock plate 3 the formation of the housing 6, the circular portion 7. and etc are formed in one operation.

Thehousing 6 is provided with a pair of slits 9 between which a key opening 10 is disposed. The opening 10 may be more properly termed a key slot. The key-slot 10 is covered by a slot cover 11, which as will be seen from Fig. 5, consists of a rectangular body portion having a flange upon all of its. edges, the opposite ones of the flanges being provided with tangs 12 which are adaptedv to be received by the slits9.

The slot cover 11 illustrated more particularly in Fig. 5, is provided with a key hole 13. A key support 14 clearly shown in Fig. 10 includes a circular upstanding portion 15 which is movable in the circular portion of the key hole 13 of the slot closure or cover 11. It will be understood particularly from Fig, 1 wherein the slot cover 11 and the key support 14 are shown as. being assembled, that a key when thrust into the key open.- ing in the respective members 11 and 1.4,

that the key may be readily turned since the key support 14h will revolve beneath the cover 11. A latch bolt 16 is movable in the housing 6 of the lock plate 3. The latch bolt 16 is also formed of stamped sheet metal and includes the side guides 17 which serve to space the latch bolt 16 from the housing 6 and also provide bearings for the latch bolt. A lip 18 is formed at one end of the latch bolt 16 adjacent to an opening 19 in the edge of the latch bolt. The opening 19 permits the entrance of the tongue 20 on the hasp 22. The tongue 20 is slotted as at 21 upon one edge so that when the tongue 20 is projected into the opening 19 the lip 18 thereof may enter the slot 21 and lock the hasp 22 in position.

The latch bolt 16 has an opening 23 near its end opposite the lip 18, by which the end of a key is received so that the latch bolt 16 may be pushed backwardly away from the tongue 20 in a manner presently to be more fully explained. Other openings 24 at either side of the central opening 23 serves to receive the ends of the tangs 12 of the slot cover 11. The ends of the tangs 12 after'being received by the openings 2%, are bent over as shown in Fig. 7 and thus serve to secure both the latch bolt 16 and slot cover 11, in position. Portions of the adja cent edge of the latch bolt 16 are stamped out to provide a pair of tongues 25. A spring 26 is held between the tongues 25 substantially as shown in Fig. 7 and the free end of the spring 26 bears against the adjacent shoulder of the housing 6 and thus serve to normally force the latch bolt 16 for wardly into engagement with the tongue 20 of the hasp 22.

A tumbler 27 is movable cross-wise'of the latch bolt 16 and is slidable between the up struck portions 17 which constitute the guides previously described. The tumbler 27 includes a Vshaped portion 28 which is adapted to receive the single bit of a key. The tumbler 27 is pressed into position by a spring 29, one end of which is received in a suitably U-shaped recess 30, while the other end bears against an adjacent one of the upstruck portions 17.

A cover 31 is fitted within the lock plate 3 in such a manner as to entirely close the latch bolt 16 and its cooperating parts substantially as shown in Fig. 6. The cover 31 includes the lips or lugs 32 through the medium of which the cover 31 is secured in place by inserting the lugs 32 into recesses 32 in the adjacent portions of the flanges 5 of the lock plate. The cover 31 also includes flanges 33 which are received by the housing 6 and upon which the lateral edges of the latch bolt 16 slide.

An abutment 3d'is bent inwardly from one of the flanges 33 of the cover 31 and is adapted to be engaged by the tumbler 27 as shown in Fig. 7. When the tumbler 27 engages the abutment 3 1, the latch bolt 16 is locked in its forward position. By causing the retracting of the tumbler 27 from the abutment 3 1 by inserting a suitable key and turning the same, the latch bolt 16 may be retracted from the tongue 20 of the hasp 22, by pulling upon the shank of the key and bodily moving the latch .bolt 16 from such engagement. p

The cover 31 has openings 35 and 36 which are adapted to permit the consequent movement of the bent over tangs 12 and admit the end of the tongue 20, respectively. These openings incidentally serve to lighten the cover 31. v

The hasp 22 includes'a pair of cars 37 which as shown in Fig. 11 rest upon'the adjacent surface of attaching plate 38. A tongue 39 on the attaching plate 38, is disposed between the cars 37 and is adapted to engage the hasp 22 and limit the movement thereof in one direction.

The front edge of the tongue 39 is bent downwardly as shown in Fig. 11 so that a spring 40 which is held therebeneath, ma not/readily slip out. The ends of the spring 40 bear against steps 411 upon which other bent tongues 42 on the hasp 22 are adapted to rest. It will be observed that in addition to the bearing of the spring 10 upon the adjacent step 11 that it also bears upon the side flange portion of the hasp 22. The hasp 22 is thus normally held upward and away from the lock plate 3. Obviously when it isdesired to lock the suitcase. the hasp 22 is pressed down upon so that the tongue 20 will. enter the circular opening 8 in the pressed portion 7, where the slot 21 may be engaged or entered by the lip 18 ot the latch bolt 16. p

The operation or the device is as follows. The latch bolt 16 is normally pressed forwardly through the medium of the engagement of the leaf spring 26 which is secured upon the latch bolt 16. with the adjacent shoulder of thehousing 6. The lip 18 then normally partly closes the opening 8 and is in position'to be received by the slot 21 of the tongue 20 when the tongue 20 is presented to the opening 8. 1

Upon inserting a key into the lock and by turning it in the proper direction, the tumbler 27 is caused to engage the abutment 34.

upon one of the flanges 33 of the cover 31. i

the tumbler 27 from the abutment 3t. It will now be necessary to bodily pull the latch bo 16 a wardly. against h e sion of the spring 26 when the hasp 22 through the medium of the spring 40, will spring'upwardly and. the suitcase will be unlocked.

It may again be statedthat one of; the essential features of the inventionlies, in the peculiar formation of the lock of stamped metal. It will be understood that all of the movable parts as well as the fixed partsof the lock may be stamped out of single pieces of metal and thus the manufacture of the lock may be carried out at a very low cost. It should be observed that by provision of the recesses in the adjacent flange portions of the lock plate, that the cover may be as sembled or placed in position after the plate is plated or enameled. By providing this type of securing connection, the finish is not spoiled. Furthermore there are no rivets or holes to punch for rivets, or unplated parts to show through, and the plate flanges are not bent in to offer a securing means as is the case in many types of locks.

While the construction and arrangement of the device as described and illustrated is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes therein may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A hasp including a fixed member having steps and a flanged tongue, a movable member having ears, an abutment adapted to engage the steps, and a spring mounted beneath the flanged tongue and engageable in the movable member at the steps. for holding the movable member in an erect position.

2 A hasp comprising an attaching plate having a flanged tongue, a movable member pivotally mounted upon said attaching plate a fiat spring bearing upon said movable member and engaging said flanged tongue, so that said spring will be held against displacement and will urge said movable mem ber in one direction.

3. A device of the class described comprising a plate, said plate having a flanged tongue, a movable hasp having ears bearing upon said plate, whereby said hasp is pivotally mounted upon said plate, a flat spring bearing upon said plate and said hasp for urging said hasp in one direction, said flanged tongue engaging said spring for holding the spring in front of said ears,

thereby holding said ears upon said attaching plate and preventing the accidental displacement of said spring.

4. In adevice of the class described, the combination of a lock body, having a housing, a latch bolt reciprocally mounted within said housing, means for urging said bolt in one direction, means for releasably retaining sa-id latch bolt in a set position, a cover positioned upon the rear of said lockbody,said cover having inwardly extending flanges, said flanges extending into said housing and engaging the edges of said latch bolt for holding the same in a central posit-ion, outwardly projecting lugs formed on the endsof said cover, said lock body having recesses formed therein, and said lugs fitting within said recesses for holding said cover against displacement, thus causing the operating element of the device to be inclosed in said housing.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lock body, having a hous ing, a latch bolt reciprocally mounted with-' in said housing, means for urging said latch bolt in one dlrection, upstruck portions formed upon the s1de portions of said latch bolt, said upstruck portions having notches formed in alinement and provided with overhanging portions, a tumbler reciprocally mounted between the notched portions of said upstruck portions, and the overhanging portions of said upstruck portions hearing upon said tumbler for holding the same against displacement, whereby said tumbler may releasably retain said latch bolt in a set position.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lock body, having a housing, a latch bolt reciprocally mounted within said housing, said latch bolt having upstruck portions on its side edges, said upstruck portions having notches provided with overhanging portions, a tumbler positioned upon said latch bolt, said tumbler passing within the notches of said upstruck portions, said upstruck portions fitting upon said tumbler for holding the same against displacement, means for urging said tumbler in one direction, parallel tongues formed in the longitudinal axis: of said latch bolt, a flat spring passing between said tongues and bearing upon the housing whereby said spring will be held against displacement and will urge said latch bolt in one direction, said tumbler being adapted to releasably rctain said latch bolt in a set position.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a. lock body having a housing, a latch bolt positioned within said hous ing, upstruck portions formed upon end of said latch bolt and having notches therein, said upstruck port-ions having overhanging portions with respect to said notches, a tumbler positioned upon said latch bolt and passing through said notches, said upstruck portions bearing upon said tumbler for holding the same against accidental displace recesses, lugs extending from the ends of said cover and fitting Within said recesses for holding said cover in a set position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ERNEST H. SHAFF.

Witnesses FANNY DICKINSON, MARTHA PRAKKEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, D. 0. 

